After negotiating through the holidays, AMC Networks and the National Cable Television Cooperative (NCTC) have agreed to a new multi-year deal, avoiding blacking out these networks to customers.

Under the agreement, NCTC members will carry AMC Networks’ AMC, BBC America, IFC, SundanceTV, WE tv and BBC World News. NCTC members are 740 small and mostly rural cable operators serving some 4 million subscribers.

According to Deadline, the new agreement runs five years instead of three, giving AMC Networks some long-term assurances, and also likely gives NCTC members streaming and VOD rights to AMC Networks shows.

“We are pleased to have reached a new distribution agreement with NCTC,” said Bob Broussard, AMC Networks president of network sales in a statement. “We have enjoyed a long and successful partnership with NCTC and we look forward to continuing to provide our popular and acclaimed programming to NCTC members and their customers.”

“We appreciate AMC Networks’ willingness to take the time to understand our members’ unique challenges and concerns, and their creativity to construct an agreement that addresses the concerns of many of our members,” said Judy Meyka, NCTC executive vice president of programming, also in a statement. “AMC Networks has made a significant investment in the programming on their networks and we are pleased that our members have the option to continue offering this programming to their customers.”

Brief Take: At the end of the day, compromise is better than blackouts for all parties.

Read more: Deadline, Variety, B&C

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